COPS3 had a membership drive last month in an effort to support a fundraiser for police officers working in Gentilly, Lakeview and the Lakefront.

Two contractors say organizers for Gentilly police fundraiser not paying for services

COPS3 had a membership drive last month in an effort to support a fundraiser for police officers working in Gentilly, Lakeview and the Lakefront.

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Updated: 9:08 AM CDT Aug 12, 2015

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WEBVTT METEOROLOGIST MARGARET ORR, AND SPORTS WITH FLETCHER MACKEL. SCOTT: ADVERTISED AS A FUNDRAISER FOR COPS WORKING IN GENTILLY, LAKEVIEW AND THE LAKEFRONT, COPS3 HAD A MEMBERSHIP DRIVE LAST MONTH, LOOKING FOR SUPPORT. BUT TWO CONTRACTORS -- ALMOST A MONTH LATER SAY THEY STILL HAVEN'T BEEN PAID AND ARE NOW LOOKING INTO TAKING LEGAL ACTION. NEW AT 10:00, WDSU REPORTER TRAVERS MACKEL SHOWS YOU HOW THE FINGER POINTING HAS SOME STUCK IN THE MIDDLE. TRAVERS: INSIDE HIS JEFFERSON PARISH OFFICE, IT'S EASY TO SEE -- DOLPH FEDERICO OWNS STAGES AND TENTS FOR EVENTS. HIS COMPANY HAS PROVIDED STAGES TO LARGE PRODUCTIONS AT CHAMPIONS SQUARE AND FOR WEDNESDAYS AT THE SQUARE IN NEW ORLEANS. AND LAST MONTH, ON JULY 18TH, HE PROVIDED A STAGE FOR AN EVENT IN GENTILLY. ONLY PROBLEM -- WE STILL HAVEN'T BEEN PAID. TRAVERS: AND HE'S NOT THE ONLY CONTRACTOR COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR EVENT. CLAUDE BRYANT OWNS AUDIO ANONYMOUS. WE WORKED FROM 6:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M. -- IN A DOLLAR VALUE: $3000, $4000. TRAVERS: HAVE YOU GOTTEN PAID? NOT ONE RED CENT. TRAVERS: THE EVENT THEY SAY ISN'T PAYING UP: THE REPUBLIC STREET AND FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH ASSOCIATION AND A PROGRAM CALLED COPS 3, WHICH ADVERTISES ITSELF AS A NON-PROFIT TO HELP RAISE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE NOPD'S 3RD DISTRICT. FEDIRICO -- A FORMER JPSO DEPUTY -- SAYS THE HEAD OF COPS-3, CHERIE GUGGENHEIM, WHO WORKS FOR THE CITY COUNCIL IN NEW ORLEANS, REACHED OUT TO HIM ABOUT THE EVENT. SHE SAID SHE WORKED FOR THE CITY AND WANTED US TO HELP OUT AS MUCH AS WE COULD, THAT THEY HAD LIMITED BUDGET AND COULD WE HELP HER OUT. TRAVERS: FEDIRICO SAYS HE GAVE HER A 50% DISCOUNT, AND WAS GIVEN A CHECK ON THE EVE OF THE EVENT, BUT WHEN HE WENT TO DEPOSIT IT -- IT WAS A STOP PAY. THEY DIDN'T PAY IT, IT WAS A STOP PAY ON THE CHECK. TRAVERS: BRYANT SAYS HIS CHECK BOUNCED. NOW BOTH MEN ARE LOOKING TO GET PAID AS CONTRACTORS FOR A EVENT THEY WAS SUPPOSE TO RAISE MONEY FOR COPS. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT, COPS 3 AND GUGGENHEIM SAY: COPS3 WAS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE DURING THE REPUBLIC STREET AND FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH FESTIVAL. WE DID NOT SECURE PERMITS OR CONTRACTS WITH ANY OF THE VENDORS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT. SHE WENT ON TO SAY: "COPS3 IS A PRIVATE ENTITY NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT OR THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS." BUT AT LEAST ONE CITY COUNCILMAN ADVERTISED THE EVENT ON HIS WEBSITE AND IN COPS3 PRESS RELEASE, THERE'S A QUOTE FROM THE NOPD'S 3RD DISTRICT COMMANDER GARY MARCHESE. BY PHONE, THE HEAD OF THE REPUBLIC STREET NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH SAYS COPS3 WAS SUPPOSE TO RAISE MONEY TO PAY THE VENDORS. WE ARE DEFINITELY GETTING THE RUN AROUND, EVERYBODY IS POINTING THE FINGER AT EACH OTHER. ALL WE WANT TO DO IS GET PAID. TRAVERS: ON YOUR SIDE, TRAVERS MACKEL, WDSU NEWS. SCOTT: BESIDES COPS THREE, THERE ARE ALSO GROUPS IN THE CITY CALLED COPS EIGHT AND COPS TWO. THEY ARE CITIZEN BASED AND GROUPS THAT RAISE MONEY FOR OFFICERS AND FACILITIES IN

Two contractors say organizers for Gentilly police fundraiser not paying for services

COPS3 had a membership drive last month in an effort to support a fundraiser for police officers working in Gentilly, Lakeview and the Lakefront.